The present invention relates to a nozzle apparatus and, more particularly, to such apparatus for use with a device for inserting toothpaste into a toothpaste container. The present invention further relates to a toothpaste inserting device having the present nozzle apparatus and to a container having toothpaste materials which were inserted therein by such toothpaste inserting device.
Toothpaste is normally inserted into toothpaste containers by use of a filling or manifold-type machine (such as that manufactured by the Norden Packaging Company or the IWK Packaging Machinery Inc., Fairfield, N.J., U.S.A.). That is, toothpaste material may be supplied to the manifold-type machine by use of hoses or the like and fed therethrough to a nozzle, whereupon the toothpaste material may be inserted into a toothpaste container. Such toothpaste container may be a pump-type container, a tube-type container, or the like.
The toothpaste may comprise a single-colored material or a plurality of different colored materials. In the latter situation, the materials may be inserted into the container so as to have a predetermined arrangement therein such that, upon dispensing the toothpaste from the container (such as by operating the pump of a pump-type container), the toothpaste materials may have a desired appearance. Such predetermined arrangement of materials within a container may be accomplished by use of the nozzle and, in particular, the internal configuration thereof. As an example, the nozzle may be configured as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,818, which is hereby incorporated by reference, wherein the inner portion of the nozzle may have a center channel, a first plurality of side channels which are in communication with the center channel, and a second plurality of side channels so that toothpaste materials having different colors may be deposited in different segments within a container such that, upon dispensing the toothpaste from the container, the toothpaste has a striped appearance.
However, as is to be appreciated, it may be desirable to provide other arrangements of toothpaste material within a container such that the toothpaste has other appearances upon being dispensed from the container.
An object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle apparatus for use with a device for inserting toothpaste materials into a toothpaste container so as to have a predetermined arrangement therein such that the materials have a desired appearance, which is different from a striped appearance, when the toothpaste is dispensed from the toothpaste container.
More specifically, it is an object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle apparatus for use with a device for inserting toothpaste having first and second materials into a toothpaste container such that one of the first and second material is arranged inside the other of the first and second materials when the toothpaste is dispensed from the toothpaste container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a toothpaste container having first and second toothpaste materials contained therein wherein one of the first and second material is arranged,inside the other such that the inner one of the first and second toothpaste materials is also inside the other when the toothpaste materials are dispensed from the container.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a nozzle apparatus for use with a device for inserting toothpaste a having a plurality of materials into a toothpaste container is provided. The apparatus comprises a first hollow member for receiving a first material, and a second hollow member arranged inside the first hollow member for receiving a second material. The first and second hollow members enable the first and second materials to be inserted into the toothpaste container such that one of the first and second material is arranged inside the other of the first and second materials. when the toothpaste is dispensed from the toothpaste container.
Other objects, features, and advantages according to the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of illustrated embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which corresponding components are identified by the same reference numerals.